


good together

by landofpromise



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: 2018-2019 NHL Season, Friends With Benefits, M/M, idiots to lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:10:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21769279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/landofpromise/pseuds/landofpromise
Summary: Auston laughed childishly. “You like me.”“Yeah, Auston,” Freddie laughed. “I really do. Come here.”
Relationships: Frederik Andersen/Auston Matthews
Comments: 8
Kudos: 123





	good together

_2017_  


The restaurant Freddie chose was pretty low key. It was right by the beach, the breeze was gentle, and the chatter wasn’t overpowering when Freddie asks Auston if he had looked at the menu already. 

Auston blinked. “No. Dude, you gave me like eight hours.”

“That’s enough time,” Freddie frowns. 

Auston rolls his eyes. He spots the drink menu and grabs it quickly, promptly ignoring Freddie’s snort. He looks at the menu for about a moment before he peers over at Freddie.

“Fred,” Auston said sweetly. “Can you get me a drink?”

“Absolutely not,” Freddie said, and Auston glared at him.

“There are too many people here,” Freddie said, but that’s a fucking dumb excuse. 

“Bullshit,” Auston said. 

“Can you figure out what you want to eat already?” Freddie asked. He leaned back into his hair, hand braced against the handle. He only wore a plain black tee, but he looked so fucking good. 

“I want a beer,” Auston said because he was a brat. 

“You’re a pest,” Freddie said. “I bought you wine. It’s back at my place.”

Auston straightened up immediately. “Dude,” he said, and Freddie laughed. 

“Dude,” Freddie mocked. “I told you I got you covered while you’re here.”

Only one glass in and Auston was buzzed. When he opened up Snapchat, he noticed the pink that dusted on his cheek. He snaps a picture like that anyway, only just stretching his lips to give an awkward smile, sending it off to Matthew and a couple of other buddies with the caption, I love Cali. 

“Happy now?” Freddie asked with a smirk. 

“Hmm,” Auston hummed. He sat across from Freddie on the large couch. “Not yet.”

“Oh,” Freddie raised his brows. 

“You haven’t kissed me yet,” Auston said. It came out without Auston, meaning it to. But even after it had slipped out, Auston still felt confident, always felt like he was bigger than he actually had been. Auston was tired of beating around the bush. He knew Fred liked him, didn’t miss the looks that he sometimes received in the locker room, or when he was dressed down, and Freddie was over. Auston definitely liked Freddie. He’d be surprised if anyone

“That was part of the deal?” Freddie asked, but Auston hated the way he looked unfazed. 

“It’s not,” Auston pouted. “But you want to.”

Freddie shrugged.

Auston laughed childishly. “You _like_ me.” 

“Yeah, Auston,” Freddie laughed. “I really do. Come here.”

Auston came closer. Now he was face-to-face with Freddie, looking at him, searching his face for instruction. 

  
_Present_

Auston doesn’t mean to jump, but he’s got his music on full blast, back facing the rest of the locker room as he’s got his head in his own stall changing into his gear when a large hand cups his shoulder. 

He pulls out one of his earbuds and whips around to a sheepish looking Freddie. He’s still in his outside clothes, his hair isn’t done, and he looks really sleepy and pleasant. Auston shoves at him, so he doesn’t have to think about it. 

“Dude. Don’t do that,” Auston says. 

“What?” Freddie asks. The jerk’s clearly trying to hold in his laughter. “Talk to my friend?”

“Bud, you did that on purpose,” Auston says while pressing an accusatory finger into Freddie’s chest. “You know how into my morning playlist I get.”

Freddie leans in closer, while Auston instinctively backs up. He watches Freddie’s movements with confusion for a moment before Freddie finally rests his hand on top of Auston’s stall. If he were to place his other hand on top of the stall, it would be like Auston’s Locked in. Auston swallows.

“I just came over to ask if we're still on for lunch today,” Freddie says in a quiet voice. 

Auston’s proud that he doesn’t break eye contact with Freddie when he blows out a breath and says, “Of course, man.” He messes with Freddie’s already rumpled hair and almost dodges Freddie’s swat. He smiles at Auston and Auston smiles back, feeling soft. Freddie leaves without another word to start getting undressed, and Auston takes a moment before resuming what he was doing.

This time, he sees the brat coming.

“Lunch, huh?” Mitch asks loudly. 

Auston doesn’t hide his eye roll. “New resto opened.”

“Uh-huh,” Mitch says. “Let me know how it is, I’ve been feeling for something different, lately.”

“You can come with us, Mitchy,” Auston looks at Mitch. 

“And spoil your date? Nah,” Mitch says, grinning.

“I don’t think you could’ve said that any louder,” Auston hisses at Mitch.

Mitch makes a face. “You act like anyone here is that invested in your love life.”

There is no love life for Mitch to be even speaking of, and Auston tells him so. “For the last time,” Auston says as he closes his eyes. “Nothing’s happening, and nothing’s going to happen.”

“Uh-huh,” Mitch says in a manner that suggests he doesn’t at all buy into what Auston’s saying. When Auston looks, he’s not even looking in Auston’s direction, already deep into a group chat he was thrown into. Auston knows Mitch is just being a pest, and a little bit of an over supportive friend, so the chirping doesn’t bother him much. It just sucks to know there’s little truth behind them.

Practice and the media scrum fly by, Auston gets yelled at only once for fooling around too much with Mitch and Kappy, and he doesn’t fuck up too much. He makes plans to come over to Pat’s later in the week for dinner.

He’s leaning over Freddie’s stall while Freddie’s still pulling over his shirt, skin still damp and light pink. 

“Hi,” Auston says.

“Let’s take my car,” Freddie says.

Auston scoffs. “Trying to show off your new wheels, eh?”

Freddie rolls his eyes. “Last time we went out to eat, you picked me up, now it’s my turn.”

“True,” Auston says, smiling. “I just wanted to tease you.”

It is true, Auston did pick him up and drop him back off home, but he’s still pretty sure Freddie just wants to show off that they’re riding in his new car. 

They leave after another twenty minutes and climb into Freddie’s car. Auston immediately fiddles with Freddie’s radio, scrolling down to where his phone had already been previously connected. Freddie doesn’t bother trying to stop Auston from touching his stuff, hasn’t the last couple of times, and Auston just assumes that he finally gave up. 

The place they’re going to is something Freddie spotted on BlogTO, because he’s weird and wants to know every single event going on in the city. Auston can’t remember the name of the restaurant, it’s apparently some sort of fusion that’s open in mostly the states. Auston can’t help but steal glances at Freddie as he drives, the sunlight occasionally pouring on his face in between downtown skyscrapers. 

Auston is sure he’s still young enough to call this thing he has for Freddie a crush. It started out in the offseason of his first NHL season. After some wine and a few compromising positions, he realized that Freddie was more than just another one of Auston’s buddies. It was complicated and stressful processing that at first, but Auston’s finally okay with the conclusion that he is going to go to the grave with that secret. 

Lunch is alright. They both order something light and share the start of chips and dip. Auston almost orders a beer, but later changes his order to just water after Freddie’s admonishing stare. 

“Are you guys enjoying your appetizer?” The waitress, Victoria, asks. She’s been super friendly, good looking, and if Auston wasn’t preoccupied with other distractions twenty-four-seven, he’d certainly ask for her number for a night out. Auston’s not sure if she recognized that he and Freddie are hockey players or if she’s just in that good of a mood. 

“Delicious, thanks,” Auston says charmingly. He makes sure to flash a smile and watches the way Victoria blushes. She definitely knows that they’re hockey players. 

Freddie chuckles to himself as she leaves, snapping Auston’s attention away from Victoria, serving another table — a couple it seems like. 

“What?” Auston asks, frowning.

“Nothing,” Freddie says, shaking his head. 

Auston gives Freddie a look that he hopes conveys, _I’m calling bullshit_, but Freddie just smiles innocently — and cutely if Auston may say so himself — and shrugs.

The rest of the night goes smoothly, Freddie pretends to be exasperated when Auston brings up new video games that he’s playing, while Auston pretends he’s trying his hardest to not laugh at Freddie’s cooking disaster, which happened last week that he’s asking Auston to keep from the team.

“The waitress was totally flirting with you,” Freddie says when they get in the car. 

Auston snorts. “Well, she’s got terrible game. I didn’t notice.”

“Rude,” Freddie chides with no heat behind it. When Auston looks into the blind spot, He starts his car up and smoothly backs out of their parking spot, en route to drop Auston off at his place.

“It’s true,” Auston says. “All I could think about was my food.” _And you._ Auston almost adds.

Freddie smirks when he says, “I think she was trying pretty hard.”

“Ugh,” is all Auston says. He doesn’t know why Freddie’s bringing that up, even if she was flirting with him, Auston wasn’t interested. If anything, Freddie is usually unimpressed with people’s attempts at trying to get his or Auston’s attention when they’re out in public, he’s not sure what’s different about this one.

“You’re very oblivious,” Freddie says cryptically. 

Auston blinks. “Okay,” he says, slightly confused. 

He’d feel a little insulted if he didn’t know Freddie. “I’ve got my eye on someone else anyway.”

“Oh,” Freddie says short. when Auston turns to look at him, his eyes are locked on the road, and his expression is blank. “I didn’t know that?”

“Jealous?” Auston grins.

There’s a moment of panic that flashes across Freddie’s face, but it’s gone as soon as it’s there, and Freddie asks, “Jealous of?”

“That I can wheel more game than you, duh,” Auston says, because it’s pretty apparent that’s what he meant. Freddie can be a little slow sometimes, though, Auston laughs to himself. 

Auston watches as Freddie seems to relax, whatever about the conversation making him anxious gone now, and he rolls his eyes. “Whatever,” Freddie says, laughing.

They’re almost nearing the Mastercard Centre, Freddie signalling right to exit off the highway and Auston’s dreading having to drive himself all the way back home after just eating and feeling a little tired. And a little bit, though, he’s a bit disappointed about ending his time with Freddie. 

“Text me when you get home,” Freddie looks at Auston when he puts his car into park. 

“Okay,” Auston nods. “You too. And don’t forget.”

“I’m not going to forget,” Freddie says, laughing. “I just get caught up with house chores when I get home.”

“You forgot to inform me of your safety, Fred,” Auston says. He places a hand on his heart to feign woundedness. 

“Oh my god,” Freddie laughs. “Get out of my car, Auston.”

Auston hops out of Freddie’s car quickly after. He waves Freddie goodbye and watches Freddie return him a small smile back before reversing his car out of the parking spot across from Auston’s own car.

**+++**

It’s his fucking shoulder again. He knew it, of course, but hearing it angers him even more. He wants to play, and while he has proven that he can play, the shoulder injury isn’t really helping at all. He watches the rest of the game on the arena television that night, promising he’ll wait for Mitch to be finished packing up and getting Mitch to drop him off to his place. They win, of course, not that Auston had any part in it, he thinks to himself sulkily. 

He wants to run and hug his teammates when the game’s over, and he can hear the locker room, but even walking just puts his shoulder in an uncomfortable position. He still does go around and dabs everyone, but it’s not the same. 

Auston sits awkwardly while he waits for Mitch, who loves to talk too much in this particular moment. He sees Freddie in the corner of his eye, taking a seat next to him. He looks freshly showered, hair a little damp, undone from the washing, and he smells really good. This is how Freddie always usually is after a game, but it still gets Auston every time.

“Yo,” Auston greets him. “Good game.”

Freddie smiles back at him. “Hardly.”

Auston frowns at Freddie this time. “Do I have to tell you how good you played?” he asks but continues before Freddie can answer, “You did. And the team rallied, and we came back.” 

Freddie makes a noncommittal noise in response to that. “How are you feeling?” Freddie asks Auston suddenly, and Auston knows how much Freddie hates (loves) when Auston compliments him. He’s never understood why, though, never asked. Auston always chalked it up to the fact that he probably sounds like a ten-year-old fan when he discusses Freddie’s play.

“Like shit,” Auston says honestly. “Physically and emotionally.”

It’s true, he didn’t contribute anything to the game, his shoulder is in pain, he has to ice it all night, and he’s probably going to be out for at least a week. And deep down, he’s a little scared that it is his shoulder, again.

“I’m sorry,” Freddie says, brows furrowed. He sounds genuinely apologetic, so Auston shakes his head. Auston thinks that for a split second, Freddie reaches out for Auston before retracting his hand back, but he isn’t too sure. 

“Shit happens.” Auston smiles tightly. 

“You can’t pull a me on me,” Freddie says, frowning. 

Auston makes a face. “Yes, I can. I’ve got a bum shoulder.”

Freddie grimaces a bit, and Auston’s not sure what compels him to grab Auston’s fingers and squeeze them reassuringly. When Auston looks up from his and Freddie’s hands, Freddie is looking back at him. It makes Auston look away. 

He observes the locker room. Gards is trying to prank Mo, but Ron already told Mo, so really, the team as a whole is waiting for Mo to get out the shower and retaliate on Gards.

Auston turns back toward Freddie. “Any plans for tonight?” 

“I’m probably just gonna head to bed,” Freddie says. “The usual.”

“Right,” Auston says. “Well, I’d love to join you, but I gotta ice my shoulder.” He turns his head slightly toward his injured shoulder. 

Suddenly, Freddie’s smirking. “Maybe next time you can join me.”

Freddie’s flirting with him, but Auston’s a little high and a lot in pain, and he’s too tired for this. He’s also blushing. “I didn’t—“

“I know,” Freddie says.

“Hey, stop misinterpreting my words,” Auston says, teasing. 

“Dude,” Mitch says, coming into view. “Let’s get outta here.”

Auston turns to him. “Oh, right,” he says dumbly. 

“I’m driving your car,” Mitch says when they’ve finally reached the parking lot. 

“Duh,” Auston says. They carpool all the time, and this time Auston drove them together, and even if Auston wanted to drive himself home, he’s not sure he physically could.

They don’t say anything on the way to Auston’s, save for Mitch mentioning he’s going to stop to put gas in Auston’s car when they find one. Auston’s grateful for Mitch, he’s not really sure what he would do without a friend like him. When they get back to Auston’s, they laugh as Mitch has trouble finding Auston’s parking spot.

“Should we order in?” Mitch asks when they get inside Auston’s place. 

“I think so,” Auston says, nodding. “It’s your turn to pick.”

Mitch kicks his shoes off anywhere he pleases, slides his jacket onto the stool in the kitchen and then drags his nasty feet toward Auston’s couch. Mitch goes with shawarma, because of course he does, and he finally puts his phone down and looks Auston directly in the eye. 

“What’s FredEx say to after the game?” Mitch asks, going for nonchalant. 

Auston rolls his eyes but answers anyway. “He just asked how I was feeling basically,” he says, shrugging. “Something, anyone, would’ve done.”

“Sure,” Mitch agrees. “But Fred likes you, so it’s different.”

Auston snorts. “Did he tell you that?”

Mitch gives Auston the finger and stretches out — rudely if Auston may say so himself — so that there’s no space for Auston to sit but the chair across from Mitch. 

“He wouldn’t kiss you if he didn’t like you,” Mitch sings obnoxiously.

Auston’s proud that he only mildly blushes when he says. “You don’t have to like someone to want to fuck them.”

Though, Auston can’t say the same for Mitch. When he looks at Mitch, Mitch is wide-eyed and red-faced. “To some degree,” he says weakly. 

Auston tries leaning back against his chair, but the surge of pain through his shoulder and arm stops him. He hisses, and it’s nice to have Mitch here, but it’s a time like this when Auston wishes his mom was still coming up every week. 

“Need some more ice?” Mitch asks, sitting forward. 

“Yeah, thanks,” Auston sighs. 

Mitch’s already up before Auston finishes his sentence. When Mitch is back from Auston’s kitchen, he has a terrifying grin on his face.

Auston looks up and squints at him. “What are you thinking about?”

“Freddie could nurse you back to health,” Mitch says, wagging his brows. 

Auston raises a brow at Mitch. “He’s a fucking awesome goalie, but I’m not sure about his medical skills.”

“You know what I mean,” Mitch says as he rests the pack on Auston’s shoulder. Auston thanks him silently. 

“Explain,” Auston says. “Because I don’t.”

“Week 1: Freddie’s helping you with your ice pack,” Mitch says. “The second week? Netflix and chill.”

“Someone’s been in a relationship for too long,” Auston snorts. “That’s not how it works.”

Mitch groans, then sets himself on the arm of Auston’s chair. “I’m trying to get you your man,” he says. 

“I’m fine with just being friends, thanks,” Auston says, although the both of them know he’s lying. 

“But like, try,” Mitch says. “You never know.”

Auston doesn’t say anything for a while. He thinks about it for a moment, if he asked Freddie to come over if Freddie really felt the same as he did and maybe he could—

Nah. 

If he couldn’t do it the last time he was injured, he definitely can’t do it now, when they’ve known each other for years. 

“Put something on the TV,” Auston says instead. He tries his best to shift gently into the most comfortable position. 

He doesn’t hide his relief when he sees Mitch reaching for his television remote. 

—  
Auston goes home alone this time from the practice arena. When they tell him that he’s gonna be out for four weeks, he wants to yell at them. Of course, it’s not the trainers’ faults that he’s got a fucked up shoulder and that he managed to get hurt so early on in the season, let alone again. He’s pissed at himself, and he’s pretty sure he’s gonna be a shit to anyone around him, but he doesn’t really want to be alone. 

He can’t stop thinking about the conversation he had with Mitch. Mitch is a fucking idiot, but Auston has to admit, Mitch’s advice has worked well for Auston in the past. Like that time, Mitch said to try KD with mustard, Auston has never looked back.

Auston doesn’t know why, he couldn’t tell you what possessed him to do it, but he calls Freddie.

Freddie picks up on one ring because he knows it’s Auston calling. He’s strange and has ringtones designated for people in his contact list. Freddie’s voice sounds rough with sleep when he says, “Auston.”

“Hey, Riko,” Auston says back. “What’s up?”

“Not much,” Freddie says, more mumbles. “Just got home from practice.” 

Auston knows that. He saw Freddie less than an hour ago. He’s pretty sure Freddie got home, immediately went straight to his bed to change and fell asleep on his bed in the process. Auston remembers the handful of times he’s done that after inviting Auston over. 

“I’m bored,” Auston says after a few seconds of silence.

“Okay,” Freddie says slowly after a moment like he’s trying not to laugh.

“Come over,” Auston says to Freddie. “I’m gonna die if I don’t get some company.”

“Call Mitch,” Freddie says. Auston almost hangs up. He’s that close. He doesn’t know if Freddie is trying to be a dick or not, but it’s still annoying to hear that suggestion. He thinks carefully about what to say next. 

“Mitch can’t help me with what I want,” Auston says quietly.

There’s shuffling on the other line, and Auston wishes he could see what Freddie is doing. “Oh?” Freddie says. “And how can I help you?”

Auston squeezes his eyes shut. He didn’t expect Freddie to throw the ball back into his court. He’s glad Freddie can’t see how red he is. He can hear how Freddie’s holding his breath, waiting for what Auston’s going to say. Too bad, Auston barely has the years of experience Freddie clearly has. 

“Oh my god. Just come over,” Auston says, pointedly not whining. 

Freddie does chuckle this time, though he doesn’t tease Auston anymore. “Alright, give me twenty,” Freddie says finally. 

Auston hopes he doesn’t sound giddy when he says, “See you.” And swiftly hangs up the phone. 

He showers quickly because he’s got nothing better to do. Then after he finishes getting ready, he immediately looks around the room for any signs of mess. There’s a knock on his door by the time he’s in the kitchen getting a glass of water. Freddie’s on the other side, with his hockey bag on his shoulder when he opens the door. His hair’s undone, he looks a little sleep. He lets Freddie in and takes Freddie’s bag into his guest room. When he comes back, Freddie’s already made himself comfortable on the couch in his living room. Suddenly he’s hit with a wave of anxiety as he sits down beside Freddie, not too close. 

“Were you napping?” Auston asks, then clarifies, “When I called?”

“Um, yeah,” Freddie says, “It’s a good thing you called, though, hadn’t meant to fall asleep.”

“Oh, good,” Auston says. “So.”

“So,” Freddie echoes him, smirking. 

“I’m out for four weeks,” Auston says. He knows he sounds petulant. He knows he sounds like a child. He knows that this is part of the game, and Freddie’s been through this. He’s pouting right now, and his posture is awful as he sags one shoulder, but he doesn’t care. 

“I’m sorry, Matts,” Freddie says. He leans in closer to Auston and places what’s meant to be a comforting hand on Auston’s knee where his leg is folded on the couch. 

“Thanks,” Auston says. He places his hand over Freddie’s own and looks at Freddie to see his reaction. Freddie smiles back at Auston and Auston’s not sure what to read of that.

“Just let me know if you need any favours done,” Freddie says. “I’ll be here.”

“Unless you’re on a road trip,” Auston says. “Then I have to use a grabber I bought from amazon.”

Freddie laughs. “Yeah, sorry, not sure how much help I’d be from the west coast.”

“Your voice helps,” Auston says without thinking. Shit. “Uh— just like, talking to you guys, the team.”

“Yeah, sure,” Freddie says, smiling. “I’m sure Kappy talking off your ear is just amazing.”

“Right,” Auston forces out a laugh. 

“Do you have your Netflix lined up already?” Freddie asks, and okay, he’s trying to make conversation, not moves. Auston maybe has been reading into this all wrong. He can’t help but feel a tad bit discouraged. Maybe when Freddie first kissed him, he did it out of pity or something — after all, Auston had just gotten out of a relationship. 

“Help me?” Auston says after a moment. “What have you been watching lately?”

Freddie raises his bottom a little before pulling out his phone from the back of his jeans pocket. “I’ll show you,” Freddie says. Auston can’t really see Freddie’s screen from where he is, he doesn’t really want to try, so he leans into Freddie’s side. Freddie doesn't react much to their proximity. He only pulls his arm from where’s it’s squeezed between his side and Auston’s front. Freddie’s got the Netflix app open, showing his Downloaded list.

“I watch these on the plane,” Freddie says. 

“I’ve seen half of these,” Auston notes as Freddie scrolls down the list with his left thumb. “With you.”

Freddie turns to look at Auston, smiling. “Guess we should find something else to do when we hang out,” he says with a teasing lilt to his voice. 

Auston doesn’t respond, because Freddie’s face is right in front of his, he can see Freddie looking at his lips, and he’d be an idiot not to take the opportunity and kiss him. He stutters when Freddie’s left arm grips his waist. 

Now he vividly remembers when they first did this, kissing, it was after they had dinner by the beach in California. Freddie had bought a bottle of expensive wine, something in French that Auston hadn’t even bothered to try pronouncing. Auston was buzzed off his second glass and felt daring at the time. He remembers how the two of them sat on the couch, knees touched, and Auston leaned forward in the middle of Freddie, telling him about the weather forecast of that week. Freddie froze, and Auston had tried to pull away before he could embarrass himself anymore, but Freddie finally parted his lips.

They made it to Freddie’s bed that night but did no more than kiss. If Freddie hadn’t looked so dishevelled, heavy breaths each time he parted from Auston, Auston would’ve thought Freddie didn’t want it too. Every time Auston tried to buck his hips up into Freddie, Freddie was pinning him down. The little nagging voice that night in the back of Auston’s mind telling him that he actually liked that. That stupid conversation they had that led to nothing. Auston had to wonder if he’d dreamt the whole thing when the next morning he walked out of Freddie’s room and into the kitchen and Freddie just handed him pancakes and said: “Here you go, bro.”

Auston wants to know if Freddie remembers that night, not because he was too drunk or anything, but because the way Freddie picked their lives back up after. Auston had also seen Freddie picking up that season, he knew his motives. He wondered to himself if he was just any other person to Freddie, why did he stop them from doing anything further?

Now, though, Auston feels as though something more is going to happen. Their moves are less hesitant, more frantic. Freddie pulls Auston onto his lap and places both his hands on Auston’s ass. Auston tests it a little and grinds down against Freddie. He’s half-hard and just a few times of rocking his hips against Freddie and Freddie pulls away to groan in his ear.

Auston feels Freddie against him, and he wants. Of course, he’s thought about it, sucking Freddie off, Freddie fucking him, Auston fucking Freddie. He wants it all. The desire isn’t as intense as it was when he first met Freddie when Freddie was all muscle and man, and Auston barely had any experience outside of the world of hockey. Auston remembers what a bumbling mess he had been in front of Freddie the first few times, Mitch and Zach to this day make fun of his most embarrassing moments.

“I want you to fuck me,” Auston says, hoping it sounds confident. He’s never actually said it, kind of just goes with the flow. Freddie’s hands tighten, and he rests his forehead against Auston’s good shoulder. 

“You’re hurt,” Freddie says solemnly, and Auston groans loudly. Freddie appears to be genuinely worried, and that’s not at all how it was supposed to go down, according to Auston’s fantasies. Auston nudges Freddie with his shoulder and quickly presses a kiss to Freddie’s lips. Freddie returns the kiss by turning it deeper, licking into Auston’s mouth until he’s breathless again. 

“I’m on like on five different pain killers right now,” Auston says snorting, although the joke seems to land flat as a look of worry flashes across Freddie’s face. 

“I’m kidding,” Auston says quickly. “I swear.”

“Auston,” Freddie says warningly. 

“My brain still works,” Auston says. Freddie snorts, but that seems to placate him a little. He runs his hands up and down Auston’s sides. Auston thought that at least during sex, Freddie would take him seriously. He says as much to Freddie, who laughs. 

Auston flutters his lashes. “You can be gentle.”

Freddie laughs out loud this time. He sits forward and nips Auston’s jaw. “Yeah, I’ll be gentle.”

Auston can’t help but get a little excited. “You don’t have to be too gentle,” Auston tells him. “I’ve done this before.” 

“The more you talk, the less time we have,” Freddie says to Auston. Auston’s about to respond again when Freddie shushes him and Auston flips him off. He pushes Auston off of him to the spot on the couch that Auston has initially been sitting in. “I’ll be right back.”

Auston watches as Freddie gets up and walks into the guestroom. He’s only there for about two minutes before he comes emerging, with a condom in one hand and lube in the other. Freddie’s also shirtless, as well, which puts Auston into gear as he tries to unbuckle his pants with only one hand. Freddie stands there, in front of Auston like a dick, and watches him struggle for a good minute before he leans forward, just tugs Auston’s shorts down. 

They’re thrown somewhere where Auston’s going to have trouble remembering. 

Auston’s dick springs free, hard against his abs. Auston freezes when Freddie drops to his knees in front of Auston. And fuck, if he hasn’t thought about this. 

Freddie wastes no time getting Auston in his mouth, taking all of Auston’s dick in his mouth. Auston’s hand naturally gravitates toward Freddie’s mussed hair. 

“Shit, Fred,” Auston moans. It’s a little sad, but Auston hasn’t received a blowjob in a while, and he feels like he could come at any moment. Auston tries to watch Freddie as he sucks him off, skilled like he’s done this many times before, but a sight like this is too good, and Auston squeezes his eyes shut. 

Auston’s eyes fly open when he unintentionally bucks his hips into Freddie’s face, his own dick hitting the back of Freddie’s throat. He groans loudly when he notices that Freddie barely chokes on it.

“Shit, I’m gonna come,” Auston announces. He can’t help the wide-eyed look he gives when Freddie pulls off. 

“Why—“

Freddie interrupts him. “You said you wanted me to fuck you, right?” 

Auston clamps his mouth shut and nods. He lets Freddie manhandle him, arrange him until he’s lying flat on his back, a throw pillow resting under his shoulder, and he’s finally naked. 

Freddie’s still clothed from the waist down, and Auston feels a little too naked. 

“Get naked,” Auston says, he adds “please” when Freddie only stares at him. Auston sticks his tongue out in return.

Auston watches as Freddie gets undressed, agonizingly slow as he unbuckles his belt, then the button of his jeans, and then he’s pulling both his briefs and jeans down in one swift motion, dragging his feet out. And, yeah, Auston knew Freddie looked good naked, but he looks even better naked when he’s turned on, cock red and big with the tip wet.

Auston’s never wanted this more in his life. When Freddie climbs into the couch, in between Auston’s legs, Auston spreads them without even having to be told once. Freddie kisses him softly, and he tries to deepen the kiss, but Freddie keeps moving away from him as he does. Finally, Freddie sits back on his heels and looks at Auston. 

“Baby, relax,” Freddie says. Baby, Auston gleams in that. 

“I’m relaxed,” Auston groans.

“You’re wound up,” Freddie says, and Auston wants to scream.

“I’ve been waiting two years for you to finish what you started,” Auston snaps at him. He doesn’t even feel sorry. 

Freddie laughs out loud at that. He finally moves down the couch, lying flat on his stomach until his head is in between Auston’s legs. Auston blushes, with Freddie so close and shivers when Freddie kisses the inside of his thigh. He looks up at Auston, with an unreadable look. 

“Freddie,” Auston sighs heavily when Freddie pushes a lubed up finger inside Auston. He hasn’t doesn’t this in a little while since he was back home in July, so the stretch of just one finger is a bit uncomfortable. 

Freddie just hums and sucks on the same spot on Auston’s thigh that he initially kissed. It feels like a matter of seconds before Freddie’s adding another finger and begins to scissor Auston. Auston can’t help the whimper that escapes him as Freddie starts to finger him in earnest with three fingers, but he also can’t find himself to care. 

“You ready, Aus?” Freddie asks, already sitting up, eyes not leaving Auston’s face as he does. Auston’s not sure what Freddie’s searching for — uncertainty, hesitance.

But Auston’s one hundred percent sure that he wants this. He’s been wanting this. “I’m ready,” Auston says, nodding. “Let’s get crackin’.”

Freddie laughs, and Auston grins. He hears the condom wrapper, then a moment later sees it flung onto his coffee table. “Hey,” Auston says, frowning. Freddie doesn’t reward him with a response, though, instead leans down to kiss Auston again. When Freddie presses into Auston, he does it so slowly that Auston feels as if he’s going to explode. 

“Freddie,” Auston moans into Freddie’s mouth when he bottoms out. Auston throws his arm across Freddie’s neck and holds him close. Auston waits a few moments, Freddie breathing heavily, and Auston knows he eagerly wants to move. Finally, Auston says, “Move.”

And Freddie does. He doesn’t seem to hold out on his promise of being gentle, already picking up a quick pace as he straightens up and grabs onto Auston’s hips. He snaps his hips, and Auston can’t stop moaning when Freddie keeps hitting his prostate. He loves the stretch, he missed it, but with Freddie, it feels ten times better. It feels so good, and Auston keeps clawing at Freddie’s back, trying to pull him in deeper, but he’s not sure he can get much more rooted in this position. 

Freddie leans down, lips next to Auston’s ear, his hair brushing against the side of Auston’s face. He says, “Aus.” 

“Mm, you’re so big,” Auston responds nonsensically. he feels Freddie shaking with laughter, but he doesn’t open his eyes. 

“Auditioning for a porno?” Freddie asks, and Auston doesn’t even dignify him with a response. 

He can feel his orgasm building up, and he warns Freddie, but Freddie doesn’t seem to slow down and fuck if it doesn’t feel right. He comes all over Freddie’s fist wrapped around his dick, with Freddie following shortly after.

Freddie collapses on Auston, and he feels much heavier than he did before. 

“Fuck,” Freddie says into Auston’s neck and Auston smiles. He’s glad Freddie feels the same about how good it was. “I’m gonna pull out.”

It’s uncomfortable when Freddie pulls out, that’s something Auston doesn’t miss about getting fucked. Auston looks at Freddie and takes him in. The redness spread from his face to his chest, his messy hair falling in his face, chest heaving. Freddie climbs off the couch and heads down Auston’s hallway, presumably for the bathroom. 

It finally dawns on Auston what the fuck just happened. He finally had sex with Freddie. He feels childish when he thinks about that fact, but he can’t believe that it just happened. Five minutes later, Freddie appears back with a washcloth and settles back between Auston’s thighs.

“You moved your towels,” Freddie says softly. Auston flinches when the cloth touch touches his now sensitive dick, and Freddie places a stern hand on his shoulder. “Your shoulder.”

“I wanted to change the scenery of my main floor bathroom,” Auston says sarcastically. He doesn’t know how Freddie noticed such detail, and he doesn’t know if he should feel any way about it. 

After Freddie cleans him up and dresses in his briefs, Auston finally sits up, grabbing his own underwear. “I’m gonna go take a nap. On my bed.”

He’s already on his way when he hears Freddie sigh and says, “Give me a minute, I’m coming.”

Auston snorts and doesn’t even dignify Freddie’s sarcasm with a response. He wants to throw himself onto his bed, but he knows he can’t, and luckily, it’s still unmade from the frustration of even trying in the morning, so Auston just gently crawls under his covers. He’s surprised when he’s startled awake on his way to a light sleep by the bedroom door opening and even more surprised by the sight of Freddie crawling into the left side of his bed, snuggling himself up behind a still nude Auston. 

“Go back to sleep,” Freddie says, voice thick with sleep already. He wraps his arm around Auston’s waist and holds tightly. Auston falls asleep with a smile on his face. 

Auston wakes up to a half-empty bed. When he checks the time, he sees that Freddie’s already on his way to the arena. He flops back down onto his bed and manages to find his phone under the bunches of sheets. He’s got a couple of texts, two from Mitch one serious and one annoyed that Auston didn’t respond to him in under a minute. Another is from Freddie, which says: _call me after the game._

He doesn’t wait to text Chucky, all he says is: _it finally happened._

He doesn’t get a response quickly, his friend is probably getting ready for the game tonight himself. He takes that as an opportunity to quickly shower, rinse out the tiredness and kinks throughout his body. It still takes him a while to shower, even though he’s been through this already, it’s still pretty off-kilter to use only one arm. 

Matthew’s a dumb ass, so he texts back _???_, which means that Auston is going to have to explain the whole ordeal when he barely has words for it himself. 

_I.Hooked. Up. With. Freddie. _

_Dude didn’t you just hurt your shoulder_

Auston rolls his eyes. Of course, that’s the only thing Matthew seems to be worried about. They haven’t texted since the injury, which isn't rattling for them, but they also had plans to see each other today, and he’s not sure that’s happening either. He’s a little disappointed his shoulder is changing his plans for him. 

He messages back, _He was gentle_

_Ok EW. _

_You asked._

_Whatever. So you ARE bfs now_

_Ummmm no_

_Dude. Was that not the plan. We’re talking about this after the game_

Auston snorts. He promptly decides to ignore the first sentence of Matthew’s text before responding, _You sure you’re gonna be calling me after you lose tonight?_

_fuck off _

Auston makes it to his kitchen for a glass of water before taking a seat on one of his stools. So, he had sex with Freddie, which was fantastic. But there’s just more to it than that. It interfered a bit with Freddie’s routine, and Freddie didn’t seem the bit bothered by it. And he wants to talk to Auston after the game or something. Unless it’s about that. Then fuck. 

Auston’s sure if he called Mitch right now, Mitch would answer. But he doesn’t because he’s a good friend and Mitch doesn’t need a distraction, no matter how much he’ll lie and say that he does not mind. 

The game goes by well. 

Auston answers after one ring. “Hello?”

“Aus,” Freddie says, sounding sated and relaxed. 

“Good game,” Auston says before Freddie gets another word out. He hears Freddie snort. 

“How are you feeling?” Freddie asks. 

Auston feels his face going red at the question. It’s so stupid; he’s injured, but Freddie checking up on him more than usual this time is making him feel a kind of way. A good feeling nonetheless.

“Good,” Auston says finally.

  
**+++**

Whenever Freddie can be, he’s over. Auston is pretty sure this is the most sex he’s having in his life. He’s not complaining, though, as often as he’s getting sex, he’s also getting a lot of time just chilling with Freddie. 

It’s really not just the sex, it’s cool having someone around, Auston was pretty stoked to be living without his dad this year that he didn’t really realize how lonely it can be to live alone, he’s only recognized now that he has no obligation to leave the house and there’s only so much streaming services can do for him. 

“Is that my shirt?” Freddie asks when Auston swings his front door open.

Auston looks down. It’s a plain white t-shirt that is a bit loose around the shoulders, but there’s not much other indication that it’s Fred’s. 

“I don’t know,” Auston answers honestly. 

“Hm,” Freddie says. He shoves past Auston, ignoring Auston’s complaints, “Guess we’re even.”

Auston tilts his head. “Oh?”

“Found one of your sweats in my laundry,” Freddie says.

Auston smiles. “Guess it does.”

He doesn’t wait for Freddie’s response, crowds him again the wall in his foyer. “Did you come to collect your shirt?”

Freddie smirks down at him. “Yeah, after, though.”

“After what?” Auston asks just to be a brat.

“Well, if you’d let me get up from the wall, I can go to your room and show you.”

Auston does back off. “Oh, so it’s that kind of surprise.”

“Not really a surprise when you begged me to come over,” Freddie says deadpan.

“Definitely like it when you talk less,” Auston grumbles.

**+++**

When four weeks and a little while pass, and Auston goes to get his shoulder checked and cleared. Auston’s no longer injured, and damn if he isn’t fucking ecstatic about it. 

His first game is going to be against San Jose. 

He’s also just given Freddie the best blowjob, and Freddie’s now relaxed and sated on his bed. Freddie lifts his head a little bit from where he’s lying down to look at Auston, sitting back on his heels and smiles. 

“Thanks,” Freddie says lamely. 

“Just returning the favour,” Auston gestures toward where his dick is soft in his boxers from Freddie’s earlier handjob. Freddie rolls his eyes but doesn’t say anything further. 

After they both get into the shower and eat, Auston puts something on for the two of them to watch. It’s old episodes of a cartoon that Auston can’t remember the name of, but he finds it funny. Freddie doesn’t seem to be concentrating on the show, though, he’s always checking his phone or giving Auston side glances that Auston is pretending not to notice. 

Finally, Freddie speaks.

“I wanted to ask you something, Aus,” Freddie says. When Auston properly turns his head to look at Freddie’s face, his head is cast down, and he’s staring at his entangled fingers. It’s the time Auston has ever seen uncertainty flash on his face. 

“Ask away,” Auston says in a light voice.

“I was just thinking since you’re not injured anymore,” Freddie starts then stops.

“C’mon Fred, don’t freeze me out,” Auston grabs Freddie’s hand. He’s not sure what it is that’s making Freddie so nervous, but Auston wants him to know he’d only judge mildly if it’s something odd.

Freddie blurts. “Do you still wanna do this?” 

“As in the fact that we—“

“Yeah,” Freddie answers quickly. 

“Well, me too,” Auston says. 

“You sure?”

“Obviously,” Auston says a little too eagerly. He follows that up with, “I mean you’re right here, so, might as well.”

Freddie looks hurt at that, but only for a moment, and Auston doesn’t think they have the time to pick that apart right now.

Auston’s honestly shocked that Freddie even wants to continue if he’s being honest. He was sure the first time they fucked, it was just a pity fuck, and he would also be grateful for that if he’s being honest. For whatever reason -- maybe because Auston is a great lay, Freddie still stuck around for like a month. And the fact that he’s gonna stick around for even longer? Fantastic. 

\--   
Willy signs, which brings a little more normalcy to Auston’s life. He’s sure that everyone is happy that Willy is back, but Kappy is especially jumping off the walls. 

“Hey, Kap, we’ve still got a game to play,” Jake says. “You can think about your boyfriend later.”

“I see Kappy’s in a good mood,’ Auston muses. 

Mitch snorts. “Well, of course.” 

“I love love,” Auston jokes in a dreamy tone. 

Auston thinks if there could be a mother’s trip every month, he would definitely be down for it. He has no qualms about sharing the fact that he’s a mama’s boy and having her with him for a road trip is awesome.

“What have you been up to?” his mom asks once the meetup has settled down a little bit. ‘

“Same old,” Auston says. Apart from the Freddie addition, not much has changed in Auston’s life. 

“You haven’t been as active in the family group chat,” his mom notes. “Did you meet someone new?”

“Between icing my shoulder and switching the pillow from my left to right side?” Auston laughs. “Totally.”

“Baby, the last time you were hurt and I went back to Scottsdale, you called every three hours.”

“That was a different time,” Auston says lamely. 

“That’s what I’m trying to say,” Auston’s mom says. “You have someone new taking care of you?”

“Wow,” Auston says. “I think Mitch is waving us over to go say hi to Bonnie.”

Freddie almost ruins the trip, though. Not in an awful way, though, but really in a way that he is definitely making Auston feel things he’s sure he probably shouldn’t be feeling. Freddie just unknowingly makes Auston’s heart grow bigger and bigger every day. Freddie’s good with anyone. He may not look like it, being introverted and all in a way that Auston isn’t, but he definitely has that natural charm that people around him can’t help but fall for. 

This time Auston’s mom falls for it.

During the team’s dinner, Auston comes back from using the bathroom, and he’s noticed that Freddie has stolen the spot beside his mother. It floors Auston a bit because trying to think about Freddie making an effort to talk to Auston’s mom is causing his brain scramble. It’s like when Auston believes he can totally just be bros with Freddie, Freddie does something like this to blow him away. It’s stupid, and it’s simple, but he knows how much Freddie isn’t the one to initiate conversations with people he’s not as close to.

Much to Mitch’s dismay, Auston squeezes in next to Bonnie and Mitch with the closest empty chair he manages to find.

It’s not until Auston is settled in the hotel when his mom suddenly brings up the topic that he didn’t ever really want to talk about with her. 

Ema sits at the edge of the bed and gives Auston a soft smile. “So, I have been replaced by Fred.”

Auston coughs. “What?”

“I had been worried about how you were doing on your own,” his mom explains. “Until Freddie told me he was helping you out.”

“Mitch did, too,” Auston says. 

“But Mitch isn’t Freddie, is he?” 

“I don’t know what that means,” Auston says.

His mother only hums in reply. She doesn’t bother pushing any further, but whatever idea she’s got in her head, Auston can’t really argue it. 

Auston messages Freddie later on: _were you trying to woo my mother?_

_Not your mother dumb ass._

Auston wants to message back, _then who?_ But Auston doesn’t particularly have the energy to flirt with Freddie right now. Not when it’s going to go in circles, and Auston will end up chickening out before he sends something serious. He only sends back an eye-rolling emoji, to which he doesn’t get a response. 

**+++**

Auston is pretty sure All-Star weekend is an excuse for athletes to meet up with people they only see once and year and get trashed. It’s what he’s planning to do, really. While John is well-deserved to be an all-star, Auston still wishes Mo were here as well, and Freddie, it would be an even more awesome weekend. 

The last time Freddie messaged him, it was before his flight and nothing after that. Auston doesn’t really think anything of it, of course, because Freddie is usually a terrible texter, and Auston is pretty sure he only was as responsive as he was when Auston was injured because he felt bad or something. 

It’s on the Saturday night when the rest of the guys invite Auston out. 

He’s about four drinks in when he starts to feel a pit of dread settle in his stomach. It’s fucking stupid, but he feels like he should be curled up in his hotel room and should be on the phone with Freddie, talking about how silly the concept of All-Star weekend is until Freddie falls asleep. He’s also sure he heard Mo and Freddie planning a trip together, and Auston has to invite himself to that. He’s grateful for the guys constantly bringing him girls to the booth, he is. No one has caught his eye, no one has for a while, and his cheeks hurt from sporting a plastic smile until the girls’ lose interest in him not making any moves. 

When Auston manages to slip away, he calls Freddie first thing. 

Predictably, when Freddie answers, he asks if Auston knows what time it is.

“It’s late,” Auston tells him.

“Exactly,” Freddie says. “Are you alright?”

“I miss you,” Auston blurts. 

“Auston--”

“Not just you! And Mitch, and Mo, and--” 

“I know you do, Auston,” Freddie interrupts him. “You’ll be back home in no time.”

“I wish I wasn’t even here,” Auston groans. 

“You should get some rest, you’ve got a game tomorrow,” Freddie says.

“It’s not real,” Auston argues.

“If you don’t drink some water and get into your bed, your hangover will be real.”

“I’m not that drunk, you know,” Auston tells Freddie. He’s pretty sure that Freddie thinks he’s sloshed, and he probably won’t let Auston tell him how he really feels. 

“Are you sure?” Freddie asks. 

“Yeah,” Auston says. “I--”

“I’m glad you called, Aus,” Freddie interrupts him. “I wanted to talk to you about something. About us.”

“Oh.”

“In July, the summer before last, do you remember what I told you?” Freddie asks. 

To be fair, Auston and Freddie talked a lot during that summer. Auston had even gone to see Freddie. They had like, at least one hundred conversations during that time, and Auston is a bit too tipsy to rack his brain for memories. 

“No?” Auston blinks. It’s silent after a moment, and Auston pulls the phone from his ear to double-check if Freddie hung up or not. He didn’t, thankfully, but the deafening silence isn’t very assuring either. 

“I can’t do this anymore,” Freddie says. 

“That’s what you said?”

Auston hears a frustrated sigh on the other end of the phone. “No, I’m saying that now.”

Auston suddenly feels cold. “Why?” 

“We want different things,” Freddie tells him.

If that isn’t the answer Auston needed to hear, he doesn’t know what is. That’s fine, he’s pretty sure Freddie was over the whole arrangement anyway. Now, he’s suddenly interested in what’s going on in the club, now he wants to know which chick Barzy said was eyeing him all night but wouldn’t approach them. 

“I’m gonna have sex tonight,” Auston says before hanging up. It’s pretty immature, even for Auston being drunk, but he technically just got dumped, and he’s a little embarrassed, okay. He was about to pour his heart out or something like that. 

**+++**

It’s not that Auston is trying to avoid Freddie actively, but he is. Not that Freddie is making any effort to talk to him aside from at practice. He doesn’t know why Freddie is trying to avoid him, he’s the one who got dumped or however you want to call it. 

Then, it’s almost as if the bad vibes off-ice follow him on ice, which also ends up affecting the whole fucking team. February is never a great month, but Auston sometimes thinks that they might not ever get out of this slump. It’s their third loss in a row, one at home to the Capitals when Mo suggests that they all go out to spend time together and also forget the last week. Auston almost turns it down, but he thinks he might just drink alone in his condo, so it would probably be better to drink with people who can actually entertain him. 

Mitch has a brilliant idea after he and Auston have just downed their fourth shot. Mitch tells Auston to win Freddie back, he has to go find someone who looks like he’s not a bigot and flirt with him. It’s very risky, but it’s not as if he has much awareness right now. 

That’s precisely how he finds himself by the bar showing a guy who he doesn’t even seem particularly attractive photos of Nala. They’re photos his sister sent over to him last week, and she just looks perfect. Though the guy seems more interested in Auston than the photos, which is a little bit annoying because Nala is a beautiful girl who deserves to be appreciated. It’s not until he’s pulled roughly back into the crowd of the club, quite rude, in fact. He’s about to yell at Mitch about it until he realizes it’s not Mitch who’s tightly gripping his bicep.

Auston frowns at him. “Hey, I was--”

“You were trying to get yourself on the Star?” Freddie asks. 

“No,” Auston snaps back. “I didn’t even do anything. He offered me a drink, and I said no.”

Freddie scoffs, and Auston realizes this plan has backfired, but if anything, he’s more annoyed that Freddie is being unnecessarily mean to him. He crosses his arm.

“Why do you even care?” 

“You’re drunk, you’re flirting with a stranger who I’m sure knows exactly who you are,” Freddie explains, it all makes sense it really does, and if Auston were a little more sober, he’s confident he would have calmed down a bit. 

“You’re not my boyfriend,” Auston yells a bit too loudly. He manages to free his arm from Freddie’s loose grip and pushes through the crowd to find Mitch. 

\--  
Auston doesn’t remember getting home, falling asleep, or the fact that somehow he didn’t manage to make it to the bedroom, and why the hell is Mitch sleeping on his couch. That’s when he realizes that it’s not his couch, it’s Mitch’s couch, and Mitch didn’t even bother to get him a blanket, and he is cold. 

He finds a rolled-up sock on the carpet near him and whips it as hard as he could at Mitch’s head. It’s enough to wake up Mitch, who glares at him while rubbing the barely affected spot on his forehead. 

“Why am I on your floor?”

Mitch stares at him. “If I could remember, I would tell you.”

After he showers and Mitch has gracefully ordered breakfast to be delivered to his place, he tells Auston that Patty has invited them over for dinner with Christina and the kids. Auston immediately declines, because one he’s hungover, and two he’s hasn’t been in the best mood the past two weeks, he’s sure his presence would just make the atmosphere moody, just like he’d been doing with the team.

“You know what’s a good way to get over a hangover?” Mitch asks. 

“Sleeping the rest of the day away?” Auston suggests. It works for him, usually. 

“No,” Mitch shakes his head. “Patty. You’ll feel better.”

“I’m sure of it,” Auston agrees sarcastically. 

“Hey, he misses you, says you barely text him,” Mitch says. 

“I’m emotionally compromised,” Auston says. 

“Look, there are hotter guys than Freddie,” Mitch says. Then he says, “Okay, you're right, that’s not true.” after Auston glares at him.

It’s not until he’s on his second beer, in the basement with Mitch and Patty when he realizes this was a setup. He’s not exactly tipsy, but he’s relaxed, and Mitch keeps looking between him and Patty expectantly like a conversation is meant to be happening.

“How have you been?” Patty asks. 

“We’re on a three-game losing streak,” Auston answers. 

“Have you talked to Freddie,” Patty asks. 

“Not since the last practice,” Auston shrugs. “Why do you ask?”

“He thinks you’re mad at him,” Patty explains. “And don’t try to act like you don’t know what I’m talking about, Mitchy told me.”

Auston turns to Mitch. Is this some sort of intervention? “Why--”

“He told me about his friend,” Patty explains. “I’m just not an idiot, Aus.”

“I’m not mad at him,” Auston says. “He’s mad at me.”

“Oh, no, he is not,” Patty says. “You see the looks he gives you across the locker room. He looks more worried than anything.”

“Then why doesn’t he say that?” 

“Why don’t you tell him you’re not mad at Freddie?” 

“I don’t want to,” Auston says petulantly. “That makes me feel exposed.”

“You don’t already feel exposed when you’re naked--”

“Mitch,” Patty warns. 

“Sometimes you have to be vulnerable, it’s a good learning experience,” Patty continues. “I think maybe Freddie has the same problem, but if we want to all be friends again, then we have to be honest, you know?”

“I think Fred and Aus want to be a little more than friends,” Mitch sniggers at his own statement. 

**+++**

Auston doesn’t care that Brownie just told him he left from Freddie’s room playing video games so that Freddie could take a nap. He still finds himself in front of Freddie’s room door, knocking. He only knocks three times, and he thinks Freddie’s probably going to ignore it, and he’ll probably have to call Freddie or something. 

Freddie does open it, not miraculously fast for someone who was just sleeping but fast enough. 

“Brownie did you—“ Freddie pauses when he sees Auston. He looks confused for a moment, but then the expression washes off his face until he looks at Auston blankly. “Do you need anything?”

“No,” Auston says at first, but then says quickly, “Yes.”

Freddie sighs. “I was taking a nap.”

“Brownie told me,” Auston says. “Can I come in?”

“Please hurry,” Freddie sounds exasperated, but Auston knows he’s putting on a show. He makes way for Auston to come inside, and Auston slips inside quickly before Freddie can change his mind. 

Auston goes to sit on Freddie’s bed, the sheets kicked to the end due to Freddie probably getting too hot in his sleep. Freddie follows shortly after, and Auston can’t believe he didn’t notice that Freddie’s only in shorts and his beard looks extra scruffy, and Auston wants to jump him. 

“What’s up?” Freddie asks, leaning onto the table. He looks half asleep, and Auston wonders if now isn’t a good time to spill his heart out.

“Maybe I should let you sleep,” Auston says, biting his lip. 

Freddie rubs a hand over his face. “No,” he says stern. “Just say it.”

Auston sighs. “Do you remember when I said I have my eye on someone else?”

Freddie crosses his arms. “Yes.”

Auston closes his eyes. “I was talking about you.”

It feels like forever, but it’s about four seconds before Freddie speaks again. “You were talking about me,” Freddie says, repeating Auston. 

“Yeah,” Auston says, opening his eyes again. Freddie still has that stupid blank expression on, and if Auston had a nickel for every time he wished he could read Freddie’s mind, he’d end hunger. 

“So when we first kissed and I told you that I liked you, what did you think?” Freddie asks the question a little too slowly for Auston’s liking, and he’s not sure if that should offend him or not. 

“You were drunk,” Auston points out because Freddie’s not about to have the upper hand here on Auston’s watch. “You laughed when you said it.”

“Because you laughed!” Freddie counters, although he seems more serious about this than Auston is being. His forehead is creased from frowning, and Auston wants to kiss it away in apology for making Freddie what appears to be mildly annoyed. 

“Okay fine,” Auston says. “I’m an idiot, I liked you since that summer. Since we kissed.”

Freddie walks closer to where Auston is sitting on the bed. “Yeah?”

Auston swallows. “I—-I want to be your boyfriend, Frederik.”

Freddie looks like he’s trying not to laugh. Asshole. 

“Go on,” says Freddie, grinning like a madman. 

Auston splutters. “Oh— fuck you!”

“Fine,” Freddie concedes, grinning like a madman. “I want to be your boyfriend, too.”

Auston ignores the fluttering in his stomach. He’s a grown-ass adult. “So, will you?” he asks. 

Freddie rolls his eyes. “Obviously.”

“Okay, good,” Auston says, relieved. Freddie moves to pull Auston toward his bed, but Auston pulls back.

“What part of I want to take a nap, don’t you understand?”

“Let me help you get prepared to sleep,” Auston says, attempting to be a bad flirt.

Freddie tries to think about it, but Auston doesn’t let him keep up the act for too long and makes him lie back on the bed. He straddles Freddie’s hips.

“Can I ride you?” Auston asks.

Freddie’s hands settle on Auston’s hips, and he looks up at him fondly, despite the question that Auston had just asked. “Yeah, babe.”

Auston smiles, feels his cheeks spreading wide. He doesn’t mean to, but he can hear the softness in his voice when he says, “Gonna make you feel good.”

Freddie surges up this time, to capture Auston’s lips with his, quick and hot yet still slow all at the same time that it makes Auston busy. He’s pretty sure he was the one who was supposed to be taking care of Freddie, doesn’t know how he finds himself on his back, but it’s excellent nonetheless.

Freddie sends him off with a kiss, and Auston leaves grinning. He’s about to get some ice from the machine when a bright voice behind him asks, “Did you just leave Fred’s room?”

Auston freezes. He turns around to see Jake, just outside the room, staring at Auston quizzically. Auston knows that Jake already knows the answer to his own question. “Gards,” Auston says calmly. 

“Auston,” Jake says back. “You guys are good?”

“Um,” Auston says. 

Jake looks stiff. “Just—we were gonna like have to have a talk with you guys. I’m glad you guys worked it out.”

Auston is speechless. He doesn’t know if he should tell Jake he’s not sure what he’s talking about or if he should just bolt. Either sound extremely stupid. 

“Thanks,” Auston croaks, finally. He’s about to leave, but then he pauses. The thought didn’t occur to him until now. “You guys were planning an intervention?”

Jake’s eyes are wide. “No—we just wanted to let you know we’re here for you.”

Auston grimaces. Although Jake says otherwise would’ve happened, he’s glad it never led up to that. He would’ve been mortified. Died right there. He’s sure Freddie would have just upped and left, making it ten times worse for Auston. 

Auston holds a fist out. “Thanks, bro.”

Auston’s glad no one’s around to hear him whistle on his way to Mitch’s room. 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading :)
> 
> feedback is appreciated.
> 
> twt:[@land0fpromise](http://twitter.com/land0fpromise)


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